Parkinson's disease imposes growing economic burden on Europe, analysis finds
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The annual societal cost of Parkinson's disease across Europe reached €22.8 billion in 2019, equivalent to €28.8 billion at 2025 prices, according to a new study published in Movement Disorders. As the number of people living with Parkinson's disease continues to grow, researchers warn that health and social care systems are likely to face increasing pressure.
The research estimated that approximately 2.2 million adults were living with Parkinson's disease across 47 European countries in 2019. The condition resulted in €17.3 billion of direct medical and nonmedical costs, €4.4 billion in unpaid informal care provided by family members and friends, and a further €1 billion in indirect costs due to lost productivity.
Parkinson's disease is the world's second-most common and fastest-growing neurodegenerative disorder. Its prevalence in Europe has nearly doubled since 1990, rising from 135 to 247 cases per 100,000 people. This increase has been driven by an aging population, alongside improved disease recognition and advances in diagnosis.
The study found that direct medical and nonmedical costs, such as hospital care, medications, social care and home adaptations, accounted for more than three-quarters (76%) of the total economic burden of Parkinson's disease. These findings underscore the substantial demands the condition places on health and social care systems.
Informal care represented almost one-fifth (19%) of the total burden, highlighting the essential role played by family members, friends and other unpaid caregivers in supporting people living with Parkinson's disease.
Günther Deuschl, senior professor and founding president of the European Academy of Neurology (EAN), commented: "Studies in different countries have already shown that Parkinson's disease is costly, but this study has provided a detailed account of the disease burden in Europe by modeling the costs for every European country based on all available evidence."
The research forms part of the Cost of Illness in Neurology in Europe (COIN-Eu) initiative, led by the EAN, which aims to quantify the societal and economic burden of major neurological diseases across Europe. Researchers combined prevalence estimates from the Global Burden of Disease Study with cost data identified through a systematic review of published European cost-of-illness studies to estimate the annual economic burden of Parkinson's disease.
Overall, Germany recorded the highest national costs at €5.7 billion, followed by France (€5.3 billion), Italy (€2.6 billion), Spain (€1.9 billion) and the United Kingdom (€1.6 billion). Together, these five countries accounted for approximately 75% of the total economic burden of Parkinson's disease across Europe.
"These figures reflect not only the number of people living with Parkinson's disease, but also the quality and cost of the care they receive," explained Professor Richard Dodel from the University of Duisburg-Essen. "The concentration of costs in these five countries is likely due to a combination of their large populations, higher age-related prevalence of Parkinson's disease, higher health care costs in wealthier countries and the greater availability of data, rather than any single factor."
The study also identified important evidence gaps. Of the 14 eligible cost studies included in the analysis, 13 came from high-income countries, and no eligible primary cost data were available from lower-middle-income countries, meaning the economic burden could not be estimated for those nations. Consequently, the €22.8 billion estimate covers 43 of the 47 countries assessed for prevalence.
The authors emphasize the need for more standardized methods of measuring Parkinson's disease costs to produce more consistent and comparable evidence and support future health care planning and policy decisions.
"These findings provide policymakers, health care planners and the neurological community with important evidence to better understand the growing burden of Parkinson's disease and to plan for future care needs," concluded Deuschl. "The EAN will continue to monitor the burden and costs of neurological diseases as part of our mission to improve the lives of people living with neurological conditions."
More information
L. Welter et al, The Costs of Parkinson's Disease in Europe: Results of the Costs of Illness in Neurology Initiative, Movement Disorders (2026).
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